Cruise Newsletter

Below is a copy of our current cruise newsletter. To subscribe to our weekly newsletter, absolutely free of charge, please click here. To email this newsletter to friends or family, click here. Please note that the FastDeals are subject to availability and sell out quickly.

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Dear Vacations To Go Customer,

Vacations To Go is celebrating its 40th anniversary this week. Read on for a bit of the company's history, or scroll down for this week's special offers and best cruise deals.

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Forty years ago this week, we strung a hand-painted "Grand Opening" banner above the door in a small shopping center in Houston and Vacations To Go was born.

My business partner (Bob Carney) and I opened our two-room travel agency on a Sunday because the travel editor of the Houston Chronicle, Mary Lu Abbott, ran a story about us that day. With my meager life savings on the line, I wanted to be in the office just in case the phone rang, and it did.

We were a new breed of travel agency with a unique mission: to convince cruise lines, airlines, tour operators and hotels that they should deeply discount the price of unsold cabins, seats and rooms near departure date, that making anything on the inventory was better than making nothing.

If we could do that, we would have a viable business and open up the world to people who could not have afforded international travel otherwise.

I set out to convince major travel companies to give us deals they did not offer to other travel agencies. This was not made easier by the fact that we had no customers.

Finding customers, on the other hand, was not aided by the fact that we had no deals.

Eventually, a dozen airlines, cruise lines and tour operators agreed to test our concept. Riding what turned into a huge wave of publicity due to our record-low prices, we were off and running on that day in May 1984.

In 1986, we took the company public, and in 1987, we launched our publishing division with the first of our three magazines, Vacations, which was later joined by Travel 50 & Beyond and Where to Retire. I coaxed Mary Lu away from the Houston Chronicle and she became the founding editor of Where to Retire, where she called the shots until her own retirement in 2012.

We grew out of that shopping center space and opened an airline-style reservation center, and added travel and retirement books to our list of publications. After several years as a public company, we bought out the outside shareholders and took the company private.

In 1999, we launched our cruise website and within a few years, we launched sites for river cruises, guided tours, air & hotel packages, safaris and more.

We bought our own office building, translated our cruise site into Spanish and Portuguese and French, launched group cruise and hosted singles departments and the industry's first department dedicated solely to cruise passengers with special needs.

Somewhere along the way, we became the world's largest seller of cruises and river cruises.

So many people have contributed to the growth and success of Vacations To Go that it would be impossible to name them all. Three who stand out are Emerson Hankamer, our CEO; Troy Bringle, our President; and Dane Fish, our CFO.

Today, we represent every significant cruise line, river cruise company, tour operator and hotel chain in the world. True to our roots, we are still the very best at finding last-minute discounts for our customers. Our 90-Day Ticker is the standard by which all last-minute cruise lists are measured.

Every week, we sell hundreds of cruise cabins at the last minute, at rates that other travel agencies never even hear about. And we offer deep early bird discounts and shipboard credits for people who prefer to make plans in advance.

When I look back at what has been accomplished in the last 40 years, I am most proud of the group we have built here, the more than 1,000 men and women of Vacations To Go. They are the kind of people you want to go to work with every day, dedicated to being the best and providing the best service and advice in the travel industry.

I am grateful to be on the same team.

In our four decades, the travel industry has survived more epidemics, hurricanes, wars and recessions than I can remember. The instant, global dissemination of bad news sometimes makes it seem like the world is a dangerous place, but I don't believe there are any new threats in the world, just new strains of old threats.

International travel today is safer than it has ever been, and there are more amazing trips to more fascinating places than ever before.

And Vacations To Go? We are bigger and better than ever.

What new adventures await travelers in the next 40 years? I can hardly wait to find out!

You can be sure that Vacations To Go will be here to bring you the very best the world has to offer -- at a discount, of course.

Sincerely,

Alan Fox
Executive Chairman
Vacations To Go

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Next, I'd like to show you the latest deals we've negotiated to save you money on 14 top cruise lines. Our deeply discounted offers may include free amenities or shipboard credits, which are as good as cash on the ship and can be used toward onboard purchases, like shore excursions and beverage packages.

Royal Caribbean is offering our customers huge new discounts -- save up to 81%. Also, receive shipboard credits of up to $50 per cabin on select sailings. Children ages 12 and under sail free on select departures. See dates and prices.

Norwegian is offering our customers huge discounts of up to 87%. Also, receive exclusive shipboard credits of up to $200 per cabin on some sailings, plus all of the following perks on cabins booked at eligible rates: 1) unlimited open bar for two, 2) a specialty dining package that includes up to five meals for two guests at select dining venues, 3) up to 250 minutes of internet access, 4) a shore excursion credit of $50 per cabin, per excursion and 5) friends and family sail free as third and fourth passengers in the cabin on select departures (port fees and taxes are additional). See dates and prices.

Oceania is offering Vacations To Go customers discounts of up to 78%, plus newly reduced rates, a free beverage package, shipboard credits of up to $600 per cabin, a shore excursion credit of up to $1,400 per cabin, free specialty dining and unlimited internet on select sailings. See dates and prices.

Princess is offering Vacations To Go customers big discounts -- save up to 81%. In addition, receive shipboard credits of up to $135 per cabin, and for a limited time the third and fourth guests cruise free when sharing the same cabin with two adults (port fees and taxes are additional). Get free drinks, Wi-Fi and pre-paid gratuities on select sailings booked at eligible rates. See dates and prices.

Azamara is providing huge discounts to our customers -- save up to 85%. Also, receive exclusive pricing on a variety of upcoming sailings to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and more, plus shipboard credits of up to $1,500 per cabin. Rates include gratuities and drinks. Book by May 13. See dates and prices.

Holland America is offering our customers huge discounts of up to 68% and shipboard credits of up to $400 per cabin on a variety of popular itineraries. Plus, on select sailings, receive all of the following perks on cabins booked at eligible rates: 1) a signature beverage package, including alcoholic drinks, for all guests in the stateroom, 2) a specialty dining package that includes up to three meals at select venues, 3) a free Wi-Fi package for two guests and 4) a shore excursion credit of up to $600 per cabin. See dates and prices.

Seabourn has reduced rates by up to 50%, plus get new exclusive pricing on last-minute cruises and shipboard credits of up to $1,200 per cabin on select departures. The upfront fare of a six-star Seabourn vacation includes gratuities, open bars and fine wines at lunch and dinner. See dates and prices.

Windstar is offering our customers discounts of up to 84% on select cruises, with exclusive rates on a variety of itineraries plus an onboard credit of up to $200 per cabin. See dates and prices.

MSC Cruises is offering huge discounts to our customers -- save up to 71%. Also, receive a free upgrade from oceanview to balcony and exclusive shipboard credits of up to $150 per cabin on select sailings. Plus, get free drinks and free Wi-Fi on sailings booked at eligible rates. See dates and prices.

Atlas Ocean Voyages is offering Vacations To Go customers exclusive savings of up to 73%, along with a $200 per cabin onboard credit and one free bottle of champagne on select sailings. Pricing includes one free cultural immersion on every voyage, unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, a fully stocked in-room mini fridge, all gratuities and a limited amount of Wi-Fi. See dates and prices.

Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours is offering discounts of up to 84% in a variety of destinations. The line's all-inclusive fares cover meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, Wi-Fi, gratuities, shore excursions in every port and airport transfers. See dates and prices.

Crystal offers exceptional voyages throughout a variety of exciting destinations, including the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Alaska, Europe and more. The upfront price of each cruise includes gratuities, unlimited Wi-Fi, butler service in all suites and guest rooms, two complimentary specialty dining reservations, and all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. See dates and prices.

Virgin Voyages is providing fantastic discounts of up to 44% to Vacations To Go customers on a variety of sailings. Also, get a $100 per cabin onboard credit in select categories. See dates and prices.

Emerald Cruises has discounts of up to 70% in destinations like the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. The upfront price includes gratuities, airport transfers, shore excursions in every port, Wi-Fi and wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner. See dates and prices.

Paul Gauguin Cruises is offering Vacations To Go customers exclusive discounts of up to 27% on its cruises of South Pacific islands. Plus, get shipboard credits of up to $200 per cabin on select sailings. Prices include gratuities, unlimited internet, select beverages and specialty restaurant dining. See dates and prices.

As always, all offers in this newsletter are for new bookings only and subject to availability. Restrictions may apply, and some free amenities and shipboard credits may apply only to eligible rates. Past guests of some cruise lines may see better rates on select sailings.

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Here's a list of specialty cruises, discounts and resources we offer. Some are available only to certain types of travelers, and others are available to all Vacations To Go customers. Click the links below for more information:

Age 55+ Rates
EMT Discounts
Firefighter Discounts
Grand Voyages
Hosted Singles Cruises
Interline Rates
Military Rates (U.S. and Canadian)
Past Passenger Rates
Police Discounts
Teachers' Rates
Travelers with Special Needs

Discount programs like these can be issued or withdrawn at any time by the cruise line, and are not normally combinable with one another. Always tell your Vacations To Go cruise counselor if you qualify for a military or interline discount, are a past passenger of the line you are calling about, or if anyone in the cabin will be 55+, so that he or she can make sure to check for any additional discounts to which you may be entitled.

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Here are today's Top 10 Cruises, brand-new specials from the world's best cruise lines. Click the FastDeal # for details.

1) Alaska, 7 nights on Royal Caribbean, departs Anchorage (Seward) May 24, starting at $299, save 81%, FastDeal # 32783

2) Eastern Canada & New England, 7 nights on Holland America, departs Montreal May 18, starting at $349, save 72%, FastDeal # 11118

3) Caribbean, 7 nights on Carnival, departs Miami Aug 11, starting at $639, save 75%, FastDeal # 29356

4) Bermuda, 7 nights on Norwegian, departs Boston May 17, starting at $399, save 94%, FastDeal # 42199

5) Caribbean, 7 nights on Princess, departs Fort Lauderdale Jul 13, starting at $808, save 51%, FastDeal # 33549

6) British Isles, 14 nights on Holland America, departs Copenhagen Jun 15, starting at $799, save 74%, FastDeal # 14746

7) Caribbean, 8 nights on Celebrity, departs Fort Lauderdale Aug 10, starting at $1,215, save 77%, FastDeal # 24527

8) Greek Islands, 7 nights on Seabourn, departs Athens (Piraeus) May 26, suite starting at $2,739, save 44%, FastDeal # 39832

9) Alaska, 7 nights on Silversea, departs Vancouver Jun 27, suite starting at $3,250, save 86%, FastDeal # 21784

10) Northern Europe, 10 nights on Oceania Cruises, departs Seville Jun 4, starting at $3,299, save 67%, FastDeal # 21737

To search for discounts of up to 82% on cruises, use our Find a Bargain tool.

Once you've found a FASTDEAL, call us at 800-338-4962 (US and Canada) and a cruise counselor will attend to your needs. International customers, please email or call us at +1-713-974-2121.

Please email me your comments, suggestions and questions at alanfox@vacationstogo.com and I will respond the same day.

Sincerely,

Alan Fox
Executive Chairman
Vacations To Go